Tears Like Rain
by sassyfriend
Summary: The fellowship comfort each in Lothlorien
1. Chapter 1

I held Frodo, gently but firmly in my arms as I ran with him out of Moria. The little one wailed for Gandalf and struggled in my arms, but I kept myarms around him, but once we were in the fresh air I gently set him upon the ground.

Frodo stumbled away from all of us. I watched him go because I didn't have any more energy left in me and I knew I was growing numb.

Pippin had fallen into a heap on the dirt as Merry tried to comfort him.

Sam had sunk onto a rock ,his face buried in his hands as sobs poured out of his mouth.

I caught Gimli in my arms as he tried to get past me into the mines. "Gimli, you can'tgo back in there. You will be killed too."

He stopped struggling and buried his face on my chest sobbing.

I noticed Legolas walking past us, as if in a daze.

Aragorn stood some distance away from us, cleaning his sword. "Legolas, get them up." he called out and I could hear the tightness in his voice.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" I called to him. He made his way towards us , not seeming to want to listen to my plea for more time.

"By night-fall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien! Come Boromir, Gimli, Legolas get them up!"

I shot him daggers as he helped Sam up, it did no good however and shaking my head I followed Legolas to where the two youngest hobbits were.

Legolas stood there holding Merry's hand in his own, the Elf was **trembling** as was the little one.

I wasn't sure **whether** Legolas' shaking had to do with him being **frightened** or if he was trying not to cry.

I gently placed my hand upon the Elf's shoulder. "We need to leave now." I told them softly.

Legolas sighed as we helped our small friends up.

Suddenly I heard Aragorn calling for Frodo, and winced. He would kill me if he couldn't find our comrade.

I felt relief wash over me as I spied Frodo walking towards us, but the feeling didn't last.

Our poor companion was barely able to keep his footing and suddenly clasped **collapsed** onto the ground.

We all rushed to him. Aragorn pulled Frodo close as he stroked our comrade's dark brown hair gently. The loud sobs that **burst, **from Frodo alarmed me and Aragorn saw my expression and picked him up. "I will carry him." the ranger said and I nodded my agreement.

I knew the two where very close and no harm would come to the little one, I knew he would make especially sure of it.

Aragorn tried to comfort us all with small talk, but it didn't really help at all. I could see it in the way the hobbits kept their silence, they never asked any questions like they always had before.

Legolas and Gimli walked side by side, I **certainly** **sensed** the beginning changes. They had always fought before, always threw insults at one another. and now it seemed as though **they weren't **aware of the fact they were comforting each other.

Aragorn walked beside me. he looked worn out and I could see in his eyes he wished this would've never happened.

"Aragorn, I'm so sorry." I whispered. suddenly my throat **constricted** and I bit my lip hard.

Aragorn must have noticed that I couldn'tspeak and he placed an arm around my shoulder "It will be **all right."**

He stopped walking for a moment and looked deeply into my eyes. I saw his own mask come down for just a moment as his eyes filled, then sighing he put his mask back on and we started walking together again.

Suddenly I felt **embarrassed** as I realized my face was growing damp. I swiped at my cheeks, what good was it for me to cry? I couldn't bring Gandalf back and the hobbits needed us to be **all right** for them.

I swallowed hard, I felt like I was never to be **all right** again!

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looking down I realized Pippin was walking beside me.

I gently picked the little one up and holding him close I felt him running my fingers through my hair.

"Thank you for saving Frodo." he whispered.

I tried to say something, anything but a sob caught in my throat so I just nodded. Pippin hugged me tightly and I knew he was trying to comfort me too.

Later that evening we made it to Lothlorien and set up camp. A lament floated on the air around us, I noticed Legolas had just walked back into camp.

I realized he had taken a bath, his hair was **straighter** than usual with the strings gone and he was wearing a silver tunic . Legolas looked exhausted by his emotions and he was about to settle down with us, when he noticed we were all paused,listening to the song floating in the air around us.

"A lament for Gandalf." Legolas spoke softly.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked.

Legolas seemed shaken by the question and I was about to tell Merry to not ask any more questions when our comrade spoke again.

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near." Legolas told us softly, after that he turned and walked quickly into the forest.

I followed after him to make sure he was well. Legolas' whole body was shaking and after awhile his knees buckled and I saw him sink down beside a tree.

I **knelt** in front of him noticing he looked almost milky white and I softly touched his cheek in concern.

"Legolas, are you well?" I asked.

He nodded as he started picking blades of grass with violently **trembling** fingers.

"Are you wounded?" My concern had grown **a lot** higher.

Legolas shook his head as his eyes closed tightly. I remembered that Aragorn had warned us all that when an Elf closed his eyes it was a real emergency and we needed to get help quickly.

I was about to do just that when I heard our friend murmuring Gandalf's name.

His eyelids **werevery **damp and I felt a deep and painful sadness fill my own heart as I realized that my friend wasn't wounded of body but of spirit and soul.

I softly took his hand into my own and **squeezed** it gently. Tears started flowing from his eyes and I pulled him close and suddenly I realized I was crying too.

"I'm so sorry, my friend." I whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

I knew that I should go get Aragorn but it scared me to even think about leaving Legolas alone like this. The elf had always been strong from the time we had meet each other in Rivendell, in fact he wanted to kill me for what I had said about Aragorn.  
Now it seemed as if everything had went wrong and Legolas was tumbling into a deep black pit and couldn't find his way out again.  
I stroked his hair gently.

"I know it hurts, Legolas. I know it does." I whispered. Legolas tried to calm down but he only sobbed harder.

I realized at that moment he was hurting far beyond just Gandalf's death and I wondered what else was hurting our friend.

"Are you ill?"  
I asked although he didn't say anything he shook his head. Silently he lifted his head but didn't look at me instead staring out into the forest.

"You are not the only one being tempted by the ring."  
He whispered.

I did a double-take. I was so surprised by what he had said I couldn't say a thing for a few moments.  
"Y-you're tempted by it too?!" I stammered _in disbelief._  
He gave a nod. Then silently stared down at the grass in shame.  
"It promises to make Mirkwood beautiful again, but I know its a lie. Nothing good will come of it."

I admired his courage to admit how he felt.  
Legolas wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and smiled sadly at me.

"I know it tempts you with the promises of saving your people too, Boromir. I worry about you."

I sighed as I wasn't sure what I would do. Legolas was right though and I was thankful for his honesty.

"You are wise, my friend." I whispered.

Legolas sighed and helped me up off the grass.  
"We should head back to camp now, my friend."  
I readily agreed the others would be worried for us. We silently walked beside each other.

Back at camp we saw Aragorn looking towards the path through the trees in worry than he smiled sadly at both of us when he spotted us.  
Aragorn came forward and hugged both of us. I was surprised and after I hugged him back I looked into his eyes.

"Aragorn, what's wrong?" I asked he usually didn't act this way.

"They have seen Orcs headed this way."  
He said and by the look on his face I knew he thought we might have gotten wounded.

"We have seen no Orcs, Estel, but we will be more careful from now on."  
Legolas said giving our friend another embrace.

That night we sat in a circle at our camping place and ate silently.

Gimli looked around and I had a feeling he was just as scared, sad and worried as the rest of us.

"Any news of the Orcs?" He asked.

Aragorn smiled grimly and gave us a glance.

"The elves told me all the orcs they have seen have been slain." He said, looking at each one of us.

I sighed. "That is a good thing."

Aragorn nodded but i sensed something was wrong all the same.

"Aragorn, what's wrong?" Pippin asked as he put his empty plate down.

The older man didn't say anything for a while and I wondered if he would at all.

"We must reach Mordor." Aragorn replied.

I saw his eyes filling with tears and he quickly got up and went into the tent.

" What do we do now?" Pippin asked.

I hugged the little one tightly he was the most childlike out of all of us.


	3. Chapter 3

As the other stayed outside talking, I went into the tent and saw Aragorn curled up on his blanket. His eyes were closed, and I knew he wasn't asleep; I knelt down and put my arm on his shoulder softly.

"I know, Aragorn. We want Gandalf alive as much as you do. He was one of the best leaders I have ever known." I murmured.

Aragorn covered his face with his hands as he began to sob loudly. I knew he had kept his feelings back for too long. I was worried for him because Aragorn had been so strong when we'd all meet him and I knew he was breaking apart under the weight of what Gandalf had asked of him.

"Estel?"

I realized Legolas had came into the tent as well. Silently, he came up to us and sat on the grass beside us.

Legolas had brought a cup of water with him and tenderly helped our friend sit up and drink the water. Aragorn sighed after he drank a small amount but he still continued to weep.

"Mellon nin, you couldn't have saved him. There was nothing any of us could have done." Legolas whispered as Aragorn buried his face onto the elf's shoulder. I looked up sadly into Legolas' eyes and he gave me a pained smile as I rubbed Aragorn's back softly.

The problems the rest of us had could wait; our leader needed our help now. Legolas sighed, then started to sing softly.

Meanwhile I heard the hobbits talking together. "Aragorn is crying..." Pippin said in alarm.

"He misses Gandalf too." Merry whispered.

"I wish we could feel better." Pippin stated in a tiny voice.

"We all do." Sam said.

"Frodo, are you feeling alright?" Gimli asked and I heard him gasp in alarm and I heard a loud crash followed by Frodo's loud sobs.

"Frodo?" I asked in concern as I stepped out of the tent.

I saw Gimli holding the hobbit close, Frodo was shaking like a leaf and the dwarf looked up at me, concern also on his face as he rubbed the hobbit's back.

"I'm so sorry, Frodo." Pippin whispered softly.

I gently touched Frodo's shoulder softly.

"I'm so sorry! It's my fault Gandalf's gone. It's all my fault!" Frodo sobbed and tried to wipe the tears away.

His whole body seemed to bend with the heavy sobs and I encircled him in an embrace. Gimli tightened his hold on the little one, too. He seemed just as afraid as I was that Frodo was going to do something to himself out of guilt

"Little one, you're not to blame. If anything is to be blamed, it is the cursed evilness.." Gimli said in a voice that was thick with the sound of barely suppressed sobs.

I closed my eyes tightly and continued holding Frodo close.

"_Why oh why did we have to lose Gandalf?" _I thought in bitter sorrow.

"Lad?"

I couldn't say anything. Instead, tears silently trailed down my cheeks when I opened my eyes and looked down at him.

My face reddened in shame when I noticed the other hobbits had gathered around us. Pippin touched my hand in silent support. His eyes were bright with tears and looking at the other two hobbits I noticed tears in their own eyes.

I just looked at them as more tears trailed down my cheeks. I felt so awful for all of them but nothing I could say or do would change anything.

...

Late that night I covered the little ones up. They had fallen into a deep sleep after we ate supper and washed the dishes.

Legolas had curled up beside Gimli and Aragorn. I was on on the other side of the three of them. I was laying down, I but couldn't sleep.

Pippin let out a whimper and I looked over at him, concerned. The little one was still in a deep sleep and Merry had put an arm around him in his sleep.

I sighed and sat up, leaning against one of the poles. My heart was too heavy for sleep. I looked over at Aragorn. His eyebrows were moving up and down and there where heavy grief and stress lines on his forehead.

I wondered if he was dreaming about the last time we saw Gandalf alive. A pained sound broke from our friend's mouth and he tried curling up even more tightly.

I reached over and touched his hair and gently ran my fingers through it. Aragorn shivered as a pained sound came from him again. Legolas sat up sleeply and frowned in worry.

"He's having a nightmare." I said quietly.

Legolas nodded in agreement at my words. "His heart is scared by what has happened today and mine is as well."

I knew we was all scared by it and suddenly my whole body was shaking badly.

"Mellon nin, are you well?" Legolas had gotten up and came over to me.

"I just want to cry..." I admitted. Legolas embraced me tightly.

" I know. So do I. Gandalf was the wisest person I ever knew." He whispered. I knew my friend was right. We had lost the one person we had all relied on endlessly. Just to know we would never see Gandalf again, or speak to him or even get hugs from him hurt so much.

Sudden sobs burst from the elf as he buried his face onto my shoulder.

"Legolas?" I choked out.

"I just want him back so much!"

I held him close trying my best to comfort him.


	4. Chapter 4

Early the next morning I felt someone shaking me awake. I groaned softly in protest as the hand shook me again.

"Boromir, it's time to eat." I heard Aragorn say.

I lifted my head from the pole I had fallen asleep against last night barely opening my eyes. Aragorn smiled sadly down at me and offered me his hand. I took it and he helped me to my feet.

Groaning again I rubbed my eyes and then glancing around I noticed the others had started to eat. I noticed an empty blanket that was still tied up in the corner and I glanced at Aragorn for I knew it was Gandalf's.

"Gandalf shared that blanket with the little ones on the mountain..." I whispered in shock.

Aragorn didn't say anything but I saw the deep pain that flooded his eyes and he slowly walked up to it and kneeling down he placed a hand on it and bowed his head. I knew the others were watching us but I didn't care. I went to our friend and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"He also used that blanket to warm me up on several occasions." Aragorn's voice was thick with emotion. By now everyone of our friends had left their food and had came to our sides.

"Gandalf..."  
Frodo was struggling to not cry and Merry put his arm around the little one.

"He used to go on pinics with us and he used that blanket."  
Frodo couldn't hold back the tears any longer and Sam put his arms around both of them.

Aragorn's breathing became harder and he buried his face onto the rolled up blanket. Gimli was hugging Legolas they were both barely able to keep their own tears back.

"I miss him so much!"  
Pippin whimpered and hid his face on Aragorn's shoulder.

I felt the shaking of Aragorn's shoulders increase with each mention of our friend and apparently Pippin did too because he began running his fingers tenderly through Aragorn's hair. I glanced over at the little one his face was no longer buried on our friend's shoulder and I could see the waterfalls of tears that poured down his cheeks as he tried comforting Aragorn.

I glanced over at Gimli and Legolas and noticed with alarm the elf had his eyes closed tightly. Gimli looked up and noticed too.

"Aragorn!"  
I called out and Aragorn upon hearing the alarm quickly jumped up and caught Legolas in his arms as the elf started to sway.

I helped him lower Legolas to the ground.

"Will he be alright?"  
I asked. Suddenly Legolas curled into a ball as Aragorn touched our friend's shoulder.

"He feels the same as every one of us."  
I looked up at him painfully as the older man explained.

"All their feelings run very deep and when they close their eyes, that's when you have to be concerned. The depths of their feelings have so much strength..."  
Aragorn stopped speaking as he tenderly rubbed the elf's hair.

I started to tenderly rub our friend's hair too understanding almost too well what Aragorn didn't say.

"Elves are such beautiful creatures."  
I thought sadly. It physically hurt to know that Gandalf's death could be the end of such a peaceful being such as himself.

Legolas seemed spent as he lay there.

"It wasn't your fault Gandalf died."  
I whispered.

I had seen his terror when we had learned that a Balrog had been after us in Moria. I had seen his whole body tense up so tightly that he dropped his bow and where it not for Gimli noticing the elf would've lost his bow forever.

"We we're as scared as you was."  
Aragorn said softly.

I remembered how I had seen Aragorn frozen to the spot as Gandalf fell. I had to call his name before it seemed he unfroze from that spot. My heart had been in my throat and it had been hard for me not to just grab him and pull him along as me and Frodo escaped.

"Mith...ran...dir..."  
Legolas whispered.

Aragorn glanced at me and I noticed the helpless look in his eyes. I stayed silent. Never had I been unable to give comfort before but now just when we all needed it what I had been able to do for so many of my men and even my own brother was now lost to me.

"I'm sorry."  
I whispered.  
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what I can do to possible help...any of us..."

My voice broke off with a sob. I cared so deeply for all of them and yet my own hope had faded to nothing. I felt a rough but gentle touch as Gimli squeezed my shoulder.

"We know you care, lad." Gimli said.

Aragorn ran his hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "Your friendship means a lot to everyone here."

I smiled sadly as the tears continued to flow down my cheeks.

Even though Legolas was still lying on the ground the elf took my hand into his. "I would not have made it traveling through Moria all those days if you guys had not been by my side."

I didn't say anything but their words meant so much to my aching heart. At long last my tears ended, at least for the time being and it was true of my friends as well. Sam and Merry quietly bought our food over to us and we all ate.

Neither Aragorn nor Legolas seemed too hungry though and put their bowels to the side. The elf still seemed to not to be acting like himself and I began to wonder if it was only the ring and Gandalf's death that was bugging him so much. He kept staring into the forest and at the sky. I watched him silently and finally could not stand a second more.

"Legolas, is something else bugging you?" I asked feeling concerned.

He turned to look at me his normally happy eyes where dark with pain. "I still can't believe he's no longer here." He spoke up softly. "I mean wizards are very powerful beings. How can he be truly dead?"

Aragorn had started gathering our bowels but stood by my side for a couple moments. I looked up at him hoping he had a good answer but he shook his head as if he had no answer to give either.

Legolas had turned back to look into the forest but he seemed so defeated. I wish I had had an answer to give to try to help comfort him but I had nothing to give.

"I'm truly sorry, Legolas. I wish I could give you a good answer." I whispered.

Legolas turned to look at me again. "I miss him so much! It's not right that he's gone."

I nodded my agreement. He was right it wasn't fair at all!

"We all need to lean on each other." Aragorn spoke up then glanced my way. I saw the apology in his eyes and I gave a slight nod of acceptance.

Later that afternoon Legolas and Gimli left our sides to go for a walk.

"It will do them both good." Aragorn said seeing our worry. "We have had no other reports of Orcs or any other foul creatures."

I watched as he lit his pipe but it didn't really relax him this time finally he gave up and put it out.

"No sense of doing this. It's not even helping." He muttered.

Aragorn put it back into his pocket and walked over to the bundled up blanket.

"Aragorn, maybe we can make a memorial." Merry suggested going over to him.

We both looked at him in surprise wondering how we might be able to pull it off without the body of our friend. Soon Gimli and Legolas came back and we all talked along time about doing a memorial.

"I like the idea." Legolas said at long last. "There's a really pretty place not too far from here that would be a good place."

Gimli smiled sadly and glanced at Aragorn. "We could gather all of Gandalf's belongs that we have and do something really special."

Aragorn agreed and we all gathered up the last things of our friend and followed Legolas and Gimli out of the tent. When we reached the place we stopped for a moment and looked around. Flowers where growing everywhere, there was a tree that even had blossoms growing and a peaceful little stream.

"Oh wow!" I breathed silently in awe. "This is so beautiful!"

"Yes...it...is..." Aragorn's voice trembled.

He was holding Gandalf's blanket close to him and his tears glistened in the afternoon sunlight. Pippin took our friend's hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Gandalf would've loved this place." Merry whispered as he held Gandalf's pipe.

I stood quietly wishing with all my heart that Gandalf would've been able to see this place. I was holding a letter that our friend had written to me in Moria. He had written many more over the years while I was growing up and had done so for my brother as well.

Frodo turned to me and tears dripped down his cheeks. "He was so kind to me." I nodded sadly.

I would always remember the tenderness he showed to the little ones even when he was angry at something foolish they had done. I winced though remembering his last words to Pippin which had not is so thoughtful or kind. The younger hobbit still suffered from them still believing him to be the one truly guilty of causing our friend's death.

Pippin was looking at the ground as he held a pair of colorful little toy animals. I could tell they had been _whittled _ by someone. The little one was rubbing his fingers over them and trying not to weep.

"_What have you got there"_ I asked him kindly touching his shoulder gently.

"Gan..." He totally lost it and buried his face onto my pants leg. I suddenly understood Gandalf had made those toys for him.

Gimli sighed sadly. "Gandalf liked whittling..."

I looked at him in surprise I had never knew that. I guess there were a lot of things that we didn't know but right now it didn't really matter because we had all loved him and us all were missing him so badly that we felt that we had lost everything we had ever known.

Aragorn tried his best to do the memorial service but he often lost his voice. Legolas wrapped his arms around our new leader as Aragorn just wept hard clinging to Gandalf's blanket.

It surprised me how sensitive we all were inside especially Aragorn who hadn't wanted to stay near Moria a second longer. Aragorn tried gaining control but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't stop the tears that kept falling from his eyes.

"M...Maybe this w...was a bad idea..." Merry said softly.

Aragorn shook his head but he wasn't able to say anything.

Sam hugged Merry tightly. "It just really hurts to say goodbye."

I rubbed Pippin's back gently as he looked up at me. "Gandalf gave me these on my last birthday in the Shire." His smile was _wavering _and filled with pain.

"They are really nice ones." I said. "He helped paint them with me." Pippin whispered.

Legolas was speaking in Elvish to Aragorn and it seemed to be comforting our friend. I watched as Aragorn finally leaned on Legolas as he kept talking to him. I wasn't sure what our friend was saying but Aragorn seemed to be able to gain the strength he needed to start the memorial service again.

"I'm sorry, my friends. Let's keep going." Aragorn sighed. "Could you all lay the things you brought onto a rock?" We followed his lead as he laid the blanket onto a rock.

"I brought some sticks and matches if you want to use them for anything." Gimli offered as he laid the item he brought onto a rock.

"Thank you, Gimli." Aragorn murmured he was still not really letting the blanket go.

I touched his shoulder softly understanding why he was having such a tough time.

"This is so hard!" He whispered. "I know, my friend." I replied.

The others gathered closer to us and Merry began to sing quietly. I realized it had been a favorite song that the little ones used to sing for Gandalf around our campfires.

Aragorn silently laid the blanket down and scoped Pippin up in his arms when the little one started shivering after he laid the toys onto a stone beside the blanket, the little one was trying to sing along but only could get a few words out because his throat closed up on him and Sam and Frodo hugged each other as they sang too.

Pippin buried his face onto Aragorn's shoulder and our friend held him close. Legolas touched the little one's back. I could see in the elf's eyes how young he also felt even though he was over a hundred years old already. I saw the fear, sadness, hurt and loneliness in his blue orbs and wondered if he could read all of ours as well.

When the first song ended Aragorn sang another song. His chin was resting on the hobbit's hair, his eyes where closed and he was stroking the little one's back slowly. Legolas' eyes grew moist, he took his hand from the hobbit's back and he turned away from all of us.

Aragorn slowly opened his eyes when the song faded and went up to our friend we watched them in silence. "Legolas, would you sing for us?"

The elf shook his head. "I can't, Estel. It...hurts...I...hurt..."

I walked over to them and Aragorn handed Pippin over to me. Pippin looked up as I held him full of fear and confession then noticed what was going on and grew a little calmer in my arms.

"Ever since... I was.. A tiny Elfling... Gan...dalf has... always been... there for... me." Legolas choked out.

Aragorn rubbed the elf's shoulder silently.

"He...helped...you...Estel..." Legolas swiped at his cheek. "He...helped...us...Estel."

I could see our friend's face growing redder, his chin quivering and how shaky his whole body was. Aragorn kept silent however. It seemed he knew the elf just needed to be able to talk, to get his feelings into the open, but I could also see Aragorn's lips trembling.

"He...saved...us...both...more...than...once...Rem ember?" Legolas asked. Aragorn nodded as he kept rubbing the elf's shoulder.

Our friend let out a sob and buried his face on Aragorn's shoulder. The older man was crying hard again too as he wrapped his arms around the elf. I felt Pippin hug me as he whispered another sorry into my ear.

"Pippin, you didn't do anything wrong." I whispered back as I hugged him tightly.

"I dropped the skeleton down the well." Pippin confessed brokenly.

"Yes. You did do that, Pippin, but it was an accident and anyone of us could've done the same." I said.


	5. Chapter 5

Pippin hugged me hard as he sobbed into my shoulder.

"Gandalf loved you." I whispered to the little one.

"He loved all of us." I heard Aragorn reply as Pippin lifted his head from my shoulder and smiled sadly as the tears coursed down his already blocty face. Gimli nodded in agreement.

"I know.." Pippin sniffled. " I made him so mad the last day he was alive."

I could tell the little one still felt very guilty.

"We all made Gandalf mad sometimes Pip." Sam answered.

Legolas turned towards us. " I remember when Elladan, Elahir and I got into so much trouble with Gandalf, I thought we would all go up in smoke."

We waited but the elf didn't say anything else. He still looked too upset to really do anything else. I noticed how pale he looked and felt concerned for him.

"Legolas?" I asked softly.

Legolas shook his head. " Please, Boromir. Not now." He whispered.

Aragorn began to sing softly. Pippin sighed and I closed my eyes as the older man's song flowed through my very soul. I leaned my chin onto Pippin's hair.

The song was so sweet and loving but it was born of the pain in Aragorn's soul. I felt wetness dampening my shirt as someone buried their face on my other shoulder without even looking I knew it was Legolas.

"Oh Legolas," I whispered. "I am so sorry."

Soft sobbing was the only reply I got. Aragorn's song ended and silence lingered along time save for the sounds of our weeping.

"I just want him back so badly!" I heard Frodo say.

"I know me too.." Sam replied.

I opened my eyes to see Aragorn bending down and cluching the wizard's blanket to his went and knelt beside him. The dwarf was silent as he rubbed our friend's back trying to comfort him.

"Lad, do you want me to do anything?"

Aragorn shook his head. " I can't burn his things..."

I was shocked beyond belief. " What do you mean?" I whispered.

"We can't take Gandalf's things with us." Aragorn sobbed.

Pippin looked up at us in alarm. " Do we have to burn them?"

"I don't know what to do.." Aragorn choked out.

"Shh, laddie. It's alright we'll figure this out." Gimli whispered hugging him tightly.

"We won't have to burn any of Gandalf's things." I said as Frodo rubbed Aragorn's shoulder.

I carefully lowered Pippin to the ground and silently began to pick up some stones and started making a memorial.

Aragorn lifted his head and watched me for several moments before he too lay Gandalf's blanket down and carefully started looking for stones like the ones I was using. Several more moments went by and the others who had been watching us started to help us as well. Pretty soon the stone memorial was built.

We slowly lay all of Gandalf's things into the holes left open for that very reason. Gimli built a small fire a little ways from it but was still in front of it as well.

We stood in silence around the fire and I felt Aragorn lean his head against me as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you for helping me." He whispered.

"Your welcome." I replied softly.

The light from the flames warmed us and as darkness descended the stars came out twinkling in the black sky.

I smiled sadly as tears fell onto my cheeks. "If Gandalf would be here to see this..." I thought.

I must of thought out loud though because they all turned to look at me.

Legolas gave me a sad smile. "We have all come together." He whispered in amazement.

I heard Aragorn give a sigh as he closed his tear weary eyes as a sad smile shown on his lips. We grew silent letting the fire warm us.

"I will miss you, Gandalf." I heard Pippin whispering into the quietness. As I looked at our youngest member he seemed some what older a little bit wiser perhaps.

The little one glanced up at me and his eyes that had been so full of guilt had lifted somewhat and in its place a little bit of hope for something good to happen to all of us.

I gave him a smile and pointed up at the stars. "His light still guides us." I said.

His eyes lit up like he understood.

The end


End file.
